Cardo Scala

[Austin]

Now we have 2 bikes we decided it would be a good idea to be able to communicate other than by vague hand signals or at stops. I don't fancy the autocom and walkie talkie option but the scala rider bluetooth devices look good.

Has anyone got any experience of them? How well do the helmet mounts fit? Anyone tried them on a flip front? Does the microphone fit well, again how does it work with a flip front? Are the speakers slimmer than autocomm speakers (they look like they are)? Anything else I should be considering.

Lemon-Digital seems to be the cheapest place. But I have never heard of the company before. Any views or experience?

[StumpyFingers]

The Cardo Scala set does fit the flip front helmets quite well. The speaker is quite slim and the boom microphone is designed for an open face helmet so should be fine.
I do not have any experience of the set over a distance .

[steinberg]

Hi Austin,

I used to have an Autocom bike-to-bike system but found it bulky and never that good on sound quality. I got put onto Cardo Scala bluetooth by Lulu and found it compact with good sound quality, so splashed out on the cheaper (Q2 I think) system with 500m range.

The longest use it's had so far was on TLD, bike-to-bike with my wife. Compared to the Autocom it replaced, it's brilliant. Sound clarity is excellent at legal speeds and up to a couple of hundred metres; at greater distances the sound weakens, especially if a building gets in the way. On this basis, I guess the 1 mile system is good up to maybe 1/2 mile.

We rode back home from Glenbeigh (near Dingle) in one day; the Scala was on from 7am to midnight, less the 2 hour sea crossing, and still going strong at the finish. The only drawback is that it is mains-charged which could be a problem when camping etc. However, I believe that a 12v charger is in the pipeline.

It's easy to install - the bluetooth 'pod' clips to the rim of the lid and the tiny speakers sit snuggly in the lid's ear recesses. The mike is about the same size as an Autocom one. It's important to keep a gap between mouth & mike otherwise sound gets distorted. I have a Shoei flip lid and there's just enough room with the flip closed. My wife has a full face lid which seems to have more space by the chin bar so she never has a problem with the mike getting too close. With the flip lid open the mike's stalk is rigid enough not to get bent by the wind.

I bought from my local dealer since they promised to have it back if turned out to be cr&p - they had only started stocking Scala and didn't know how good/bad it was. I would definitely get another if I were in the market for a bike-to-bike system. There's another similar system made by Interphone but I don't have a clue how it compares - maybe worth researching?

[Kjell Lindberg]

Motosonic 700 BH is a good system.
A riding buddy uses it.

Here is a write-up from ADV rider:
MotoSonic 700BH Headset Quick Review - ADVrider

There is also a system made by AKE

AKE Motorradkommunikation, (Motorradsprechanlagen, Helmsprechanlagen, Audio, Funk, Navi, Handy...)

This system have had many good reviews.

[Boris]

Now we have 2 bikes we decided it would be a good idea to be able to communicate other than by vague hand signals or at stops. I don't fancy the autocom and walkie talkie option but the scala rider bluetooth devices look good.

I think this is the setup AfricaJim uses with Fiona. I'm sure he will be along in a mo with more info

[clutchspring]

Hi, I have a cardo scala fitted to a caberge justtisimo, fitts the flip front helmet with no problems,
Best to buy the modal with the extra long microphone then you can bend it under the front of the helmet,
Not used mine for bike to bike , only for sat nav & phone,
I have allso just bought a cardo 12v charger so i can recharge when camping, takes three hours from flat using 12v,
Good bit of kit, slim speakers, good sound, well made,
Ian.

[Austin]

Well I got one eBay tonight. A relative bargain at just under what Lemon digital retail them at. . Hopefully with me on Wednesday so we can try out at the weekend - travelling to Dorset. Annes first big trip.

[sabre3635]

I have used the Scala G4 powerset and was thoroughly impressed great sound quality, great battery life and the range was acceptable and on occasion you would get a mile out of them. My only criticism was the FM radio never really worked and i never looked into it. I was then steered by some friends of mine towards the Bike-Comm M1 it does not everything the Scal does less the FM radio but for a lot less. Both are great devices

[Austin]

Just an update on the Scala rider. When it works it's brilliant, good for a mile if there's line of sight a bit to quite a bit less with scenery in the way. Voice is clear up to 80+ although not really loud enough with ear plugs in too.

But....
The radio doesn't work, or has too small an aerial for decent reception;
the vox on the microphones doesn't really work - we have to keep a channel permanently open which means shorter battery life, and wind noise from one helmet to other can be heard.
On one of the units the battery is failing and won't hold a charge for more than a day or two;
and I find the microphone gets in the way on my flip front helmet.

I am claiming under warranty from Cardo but so far they have been very slow to reply.

[sabre3635]

ah you dont seem to be having much luck - I found the VOX very good although i have to say the areial is not for the FM radio it is for the range of the bluetooth.